Written by

Nancy De Gennaro
The Daily News Journal

Five years ago, March of Dimes annual report card gave Tennessee an F - three years in a row - when it came to the amount of premature deaths that happened in the state. Last year was a D and this year, the state received a C.

The influence of March of Dimes is having a positive impact, says Meredith Hendrickson, community director with March of Dimes in Middle Tennessee.

"It's incredibly important we develop mechanisms to take better care of babies," says obstetrician/gynecologist Dr. Kelly Williams, who is chairing this year's March for Babies on May 5. ...